SUPPORTER PROFILE
A Divinely Inspired Moment “I look to the hills from whence cometh my strength.” — Psalm 121:1
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By John and Cleo Leppien, Alma, Michigan
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wo years ago we were invited to visit some friends in the Santa Barbara area and one of the enticements was a possible visit to the Reagan Ranch. I am embarrassed to say that we had not heard of Young America’s Foundation and their purchase
Foundation and help insure the future of the Ranch by sponsoring this special ranch acre. We feel privileged to be able to sponsor the Psalm 121 Overlook at the Reagan Ranch. We pray that many young people will learn, as we did on our visit to the Ranch, of President Reagan’s love for our country, his passion for conservative values, and his love for God. ————————————————— Young America’s Foundation thanks John and Cleo Leppien for their generous gift of $250,000 to sponsor the Psalm 121 Overlook—considered a “Special Acre” at Rancho del Cielo. Special Acre sponsorships commemorate historic sites and places especially meaningful to Ronald Reagan at the Ranch. In sponsoring a Special Acre, supporters assume a leadership role in ensuring the historic preservation of a genuine piece of American history. For more information about these and other Young America’s Foundation sponsorship opportunities, please call 800-USA-1776.
were moved to silence by what we saw and learned of President Reagan’s conservative and humble lifestyle at the Ranch. We were even more impressed by how the Ranch and Center are being used to educate high school and university students in Ronald Reagan’s conservative public policy, fiscal, and spiritual values. We knew early in the tour that we would support this necessary work, but when we were at the Psalm 121 Overlook at Rancho del Cielo, Cleo took some homemade flash cards from her purse and read the entire Psalm to those in our group. Her bible study group in Michigan had decided to memorize this Cleo and John Leppien of Alma, Michigan, generously Scripture. We were sponsored the Psalm 121 Overlook at Rancho del Cielo following their visit to the Western White House. again moved by the Scripture, the view, and the atmosphere. of the Ranch. So, Cleo and I said to Back in Michigan, reading the each other, “Well, we know the ranch Ranch literature we had received, was President Reagan’s summer White we learned that the Overlook House, but, I mean, we have seen horses was not yet sponsored. We knew and ranches before….” (From left to right) Daryl and Mary White, John that we could financially help Our friends finally prevailed, and and Cleo Leppien, and Noelle and Ellis Clark visit the Psalm 121 Overlook at Rancho del Cielo. the mission of Young America’s we visited the Ranch last March. We
Meet John and Cleo Leppien Cleo and I are both native central Michiganders and presently live only a few miles from our childhood homes. Each of us was raised in a conservative Christian family and attended different congregations of the same church denomination. We met when my father, a businessman and lay minister, was asked to temporarily fill the pulpit of the church where Cleo’s family worshiped. We were both in early high school but began dating in the middle of my senior year and were married after my second year of college in 1966. After a couple of setbacks in my career choices, including a medical rejection from the Army, we turned to our faith in God and began to pray in earnest for His leading. My father and uncle owned a small cutting tool manufacturing business that my father had started in 1944. I asked them if I could work for them for a few years. I found that I fully enjoyed the challenge, and shortly after the death of my father in 1975, my uncle offered me a chance to purchase the company. We have been blessed with quality people and exceptional growth since that time. Our two sons have also been with the company since college, and Cleo and I are thrilled to have both families close by.
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